


On Top of the World

by PipTheMagnificent



Series: Zutara Week 2020 [3]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Almost Kiss, F/M, Fireworks, Fluff, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Post-Canon, Secret Passages, Zutara Week, Zutara Week 2020, teenage romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:00:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25573243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PipTheMagnificent/pseuds/PipTheMagnificent
Summary: After a catastrophic attempt at fireworks, Katara and Zuko find themselves partners in an exploration of the secret passage in the Fire Nation Palace's roof.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Zutara Week 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1849897
Comments: 4
Kudos: 41





	On Top of the World

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Zutara Week 2020 Day 3, Fuse.

The sun is setting, stretching their shadows far across the courtyard. They’re all crouched around the fireworks being prepared to be set off. Technically, they’re not supposed to be setting them off. Meaning, they were specifically told ‘do not light any fireworks.’ But they saved the world only a few months ago! A little fun never killed anyone. 

At least, that’s what Aang had said. While Sokka and Toph were ready to go out at the first suggestion, Suki, Katara and Zuko had required a little convincing. Sokka had made his best puppy eyes at Suki, and she’d caved, and Katara gave in after being bribed with the promise of a sea prune dinner, but Zuko was harder. “I’m the Fire Lord!” he had said. “I can’t be setting off illegal fireworks in my own palace! The ministers would kill me.” After a little guilt-tripping, however, reminding him of how busy he’d been, and how he spent so little time with their gang now, he had given in. He’d even led them to this empty courtyard on the eastern side of the palace.

Katara lugs over a giant bucket of water. “Thanks,” Suki says, giving it a quick glance before going back to the rest of her tasks as the self-appointed safety manager. “Sokka, be careful!” 

Sokka had declared himself the fireworks master, citing his (scant, if Katara’s remembering correctly) experience during the Glacier Spirits Festival. He's currently bossing everyone around and looking like he's having the time of his life. 

“Guys guys guys!” he yells, and everyone looks at him, ready for a catastrophe. “What do you call a turtleduck who likes watching fireworks?” He barely stops to breathe before shouting out “A firequacker!” He burst out laughing, cracking up at his own joke. Everyone else just rolls their eyes, and Toph sends the earth under his feet rolling with a flick of her fingers. Sokka yelps as he falls over, knocking into Zuko. Zuko, who had been waiting there with a fiery hand, ready to light the fireworks, pitches forwards, accidentally lighting one of the fireworks that was on the ground. 

“No!” he yelled, and Katara moves to bend water on it, but it's too late. The wayward firework shoots forward, not having been aimed properly, and blasts a gigantic hole right in the roof of the building on the side of the courtyard. Popping sounds erupt from the destroyed roof, and a flare of pink sparks shoots out. They all freeze for a second, holding a collective breath, before angry shouts echo out of the building and a group of men begin streaming out of the door of the building. 

“I thought you said all these buildings were empty!” Suki screams. 

“I thought they were,” Zuko panics, “But they must have moved from the big meeting hall into the smaller one because of the banquet for the Solstice!” 

“Talk later!” Sokka yells. “Run now!” 

“Scatter!” Aang shouts, and they’re off, fleeing the scene of the crime.

Katara drops the water bucket and heads off into a side corridor leading out of the courtyard. A few men spot her and go after her as she goes, and she freaks, pushing herself faster. She bolts up two sets of stairs and straight into a new corridor, running as fast as she can. Rounding the corner, she turns right into someone else. “Zuko!” She pants, and he rubs his head where they collided. 

“There!” Her pursuers spot them and they’re off again, Katara pulling Zuko behind her by the hand as he shakes his head to clear the pain from his bruised head. 

“Shouldn’t I be leading?” He huffs out as they go, twisting and turning through countless hallways. “This is my palace, I think I know it pretty well.” 

“Go ahead!” she pants, “Lead! Just run!” For so-called saviors of the free world, they certainly get in trouble with the palace staff a lot. 

They make it to the middle of the next hallway when they hear yelling from ahead of them in addition to the rushing footsteps behind them. 

“Where do we go?” Katara hisses, and she panics. There’s no doors in this hallway, just windows on one side, but they’re three floors up and they can’t jump. 

“I don’t know!” Zuko whisper shouts. The men are getting closer. 

“Behind the tapestry!” she says and they leap towards it, hoping beyond hope that their followers won’t stop to question the two pairs of feet sticking out from the bottom. It’s dark, maybe they won’t see them. 

They slide behind the tapestry, and Katara reaches for the wall to press herself against it, but there’s nothing there, and she falls forward, letting out a soft noise of surprise. She goes to catch herself and accidentally grabs Zuko’s face. He lets out a grunt of pain as her elbow lands squarely on his stomach. He starts to say something but she claps a hand across where she imagines his mouth to be and must get close enough, because he stops. The footsteps slow outside, and they hear confused voices as the men try to find where their prey disappeared to. Eventually, finally, they decide to head back the way they came and check the other floors.

Katara lets out a breath of relief she didn’t even realize she’d been holding in. 

Then she feels something slimy on her hand and she yelps before catching herself. “Ewwww! Zuko what the heck? Did you just lick my hand?!” 

“Yeah,” he grumbles. “You wouldn’t move and your elbows are super pointy.” 

“Gross!” She says, and wipes her hand on his robes. It’s then that she realizes she’s sprawled right on top of him, and she sits up awkwardly, scooting backwards until her back presses against cold stone. The wall of the- well, she doesn’t actually know where they are. 

“Can you make a fire?” she asks, and Zuko lights a small one in his palm, throwing long shadows around the room. They’re in a small landing at the base of a stairway, leading up somewhere they can’t see. “What is this place?” She says hushedly.

“I don’t know,” Zuko says. He’s looking around with a strange expression on his face, like he can’t believe something this big was a secret from him. The passage looks old, and there’s a thin layer of dust on the stairs. 

“Should we go up?” She wants to see what could be hiding from the Fire Lord in his own palace. She glances back at the tapestry, but when she looks back, Zuko is already heading up. “Hey! Wait up!” she calls. 

The stairs are dark, and there’s none of the lights that are present in the main sections of the palace. Empty torches line the walls, but with Zuko’s fire, they don’t need them. The stairs curve up in a circular motion once they get past the first bit, and the ceilings are so low that Zuko has to stoop down as they go. 

They climb for what seems like ages, but is more like minutes, stopping when they reach a heavy wooden door. Zuko tries to push it open, but it doesn’t budge until he adds his shoulder as leverage. Creaking open slowly, it reveals a small rooftop overlooking the whole palace, and the city beyond that. 

Stepping outside, Katara realizes where they are. The small platform they've reached is on the highest roof of the palace. She never knew that there were balconies up here, and from the looks of Zuko’s face, neither did he. 

The two teenagers walk out further onto the roof and sit, legs dangling over the edge, taking in the panorama. No one can see them up here. No one would even think to look up here. Too bad for them, because they’ll never see the best view of the capital. 

The streets of the city are illuminated by the lanterns, creating a beautiful map. In Coronation Plaza, the Fire dancers are whirling their flames around. Cheers and music from the crowds float up to Zuko and Katara sitting high above it all. 

“Wow,” Katara says hushedly. “It’s beautiful.” 

“Yeah,” Zuko agrees. “It’s really nice.” He laughs quietly and nudges her. “Bet this isn’t what you thought the Fire Nation would be like a year ago.” 

“Nah,” she says. “Not this, but the whole running from trouble? That’s pretty close to what I imagined.” 

He snorts. “True.” 

“Speaking of, do you think the others got off scot free?” 

“Yeah. Toph probably just went underground, Aang flew off, and Suki is almost as good as me at being stealthy. And Suki probably dragged Sokka with her, so I bet he’s fine.” 

Katara nods, looking out at the view. “You’re right. We all got pretty lucky. I thought we’d get caught and scolded for sure. At least now it’ll wait til tomorrow when we can have Uncle Iroh protect us from their wrath.” 

“I wouldn’t count on that,” Zuko says. “He’s rather fond of the small meeting hall. He holds tea tastings in there.” 

She cringes. “Oh well.” 

“It’ll be fine. I’m the Fire Lord, there’s not much they can do besides a scolding. And at least we get to see the fireworks from up here.” He frowns. “Everyone else is probably missing them. It would have been nice if they’d found the passage with us.” 

Katara pauses, then pushes forwards resolutely. "I think this is nice. I like spending time with you.” She blushes furiously, the red blooming in her cheeks thankfully covered up by the dark. 

Zuko looks at her sharply. “I like spending time with you too.” He pauses. “It’s just that- aren’t there other people you want to spend time with?” 

Katara huffs. “If you’re talking about Aang, then no.” She stops, realizing how harsh she sounds. “I don’t not like him, it’s just that I don’t like him that way. If you know what I mean.” 

Zuko’s voice would do something strange if he tried to talk, so he just nods. 

She sighs. “I feel bad, but-“ she cuts herself off. “I don’t really want to talk about Aang right now. It’s selfish, I know, but I want to be selfish for a bit.” 

Zuko’s heart is beating a million miles a minute. “I think it’s completely fine to be selfish.” 

Katara turns towards him. “You think?” 

“Yeah,” he says quietly. “Because I want to be selfish too.” 

Their faces are just a few inches away. Katara’s eyes are sliding closed when a loud noise erupts into the air, breaking the tension that was building up on the rooftop. 

They leap apart, their faces illuminated in a flare of purple from the fireworks. Then they realize what it was, and a nervous laugh escapes Zuko. It breaks down the gates, and soon they’re both laughing hysterically. 

“Your face!” Katara gasps.

“Your face,” Zuko corrects, thinking back on the startled koala sheep expression she’d worn.

“We probably both looked pretty stupid,” she says, and shyly intertwines her fingers with his where their hands lie on the roof. 

“You always look good,” Zuko says, and cringes internally at the stupidity of that statement. But it must work, because Katara leans her head against his shoulder, and all is right with the world. 

For a moment, they’re not the Fire Lord and the Southern Water Tribe Diplomat, they’re just Zuko and Katara. And up there, on the rooftop of the Royal Palace, together, they’re feeling on top of the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked this! I typed it up at like midnight the other night all on my phone because I had stupidly left most of the prompts to be done last minute. In fact I still have two days left to write. Why do I do this to myself! Anyway, happy Zutara week, y’all, and in the wise words of Dante Basco himself- Zutara Forever! 
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated, and I'm on Tumblr at pipthemagnificentwrites.


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